The Bank of China (Canada) (the “Bank” and “BOCC”) will cash your Government Cheque for free even if you are not a customer of the Bank as long as the following conditions are met:

1) Identification Requirements to Cash a Government of Canada Cheque

(a) any combination of two pieces of identifications in List A or List B below; OR

(b) one piece of identification among those under List A or List B below, if

• (i) that piece bears your photo and signature, OR
• (ii) your identity can be confirmed by the Bank’s client in good standing or by an individual of good standing in the community where the Bank is located

List A

1. Canadian driver’s license as permitted to be used for identification purposes under provincial law;

2. A Certificate of Canadian Citizenship or a Certification of Naturalization (in the form of a paper document or card but not a commemorative issue);

3. A Canadian passport;

4. A Permanent Resident Card or Citizenship and Immigration Canada Form IMM 1000 or IMM 1442 or IMM 5292;

5. A Social Insurance Number (SIN) card issued by the Government of Canada;

6. A birth certificate issued in Canada;

7. Old Age Security card issued by the Government of Canada with the bearer’s Social Insurance Number  on the card;

8. A Certificate of Indian Status issued by the Government of Canada;

9. A provincial or territorial health insurance card, as permitted to be used for identification purposes under provincial or territorial law;

10. A document or card, bearing the individual’s photograph and signature, issued by any of the following authorities or their successors:

•  Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
•  Alberta Registries
•  Saskatchewan Government Insurance
•  Department of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
•  Department of Transportation and Public Works of the Province of Prince Edward Island
•  Service New Brunswick
•  Department of Government Services and Lands of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Transportation of the Northwest Territories
•  Department of Community Government and Transportation of the Territory of Nunavut

List B

1. An employee identity card, issued by an employer that is well known in the community, bearing the individual’s photograph;

2. A bank or automated banking machine or client card, issued by a member of the Canadian Payments Association in the name of, or bearing the name of, the individual and bearing the individual’s signature;

3. A credit card, issued by a member of the Canadian Payments Association in the name of, or bearing the name of, the individual and bearing the individual's signature;

4. A Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) client card bearing the individual's photograph and signature;

5. A foreign passport

2) Cheque requirements

(a) The maximum amount of the Government cheque is $1,750.00

(b) The cheque is payable to you

(c) There is no evidence that the cheque has been endorsed or signed by a third party

(d) There is no evidence that the cheque is counterfeit

(e) There is no evidence that the cheque has been altered in some way

(f) There is no evidence that the cheque is connected with a crime and fraud

Refusal to Cash a Government of Canada Cheque

In some cases, the Bank may refuse to cash a Government of Canada cheque, even though:

• you presented acceptable identification; and
• the amount of cheque is $1,750 or less

If this happens, the Bank will inform you in letter of its refusal to cash the cheque and the disclosure statement which contains the contact information of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.

Cashing an Old Government of Canada Cheque

Government of Canada cheques don’t have expiration date for cashing out and are never considered stale-dated. However, it may take longer to cash an older cheque (usually with more than 6 months old) because the Bank may want to first verify that the cheque is legitimate by faxing a copy to the Cheque Redemption and Control Directorate. 

Contact Information

If you have any inquiries, please contact our branch staff to assist you. If you have a complaint or wish to access Bank of China (Canada)’s complaint handling process, please visit our branches or the Bank’s website at: Customer Complaint Handling